To the Moon: Main Theme

To the Moon has an absolutely beautiful soundtrack, and the Main Theme is easily among the highlights. The instrumentation is effective in its simplicity (I’ve always loved pianos), and conjures up some gorgeous chords that perfectly capture the game’s emotional journey. It does a great job of pulling at your heartstrings in all the right ways at all the right times. To the Moon’s pinnacle moments wouldn’t be nearly as memorable without the wonderful themes that accompany them, and the Main Theme punctuates the entire experience marvelously.

Okami: Shinshu Plains

I simply adore Okami’s soundtrack, and the theme for Shinshu Plains is one of my personal favorites. It’s the perfect song for an adventure this grand, as it has a tone that’s at once epic and majestic. The omnipresent beat that drives the song provides a solid foundation as it bounces back and forth between a solitary melody and a busier concoction of flutes, strings and horns. This dynamic seems to cover all the highs and lows that you would experience on such an epic journey, and it complements Okami’s colorful world incredibly well. I can’t imagine a better theme for one of gaming’s purest adventures than the one from Shinshu Plains.

Final Fantasy VIII: Liberi Fatali

Final Fantasy VIII has one of the most famous openings in gaming, and that is in no small part due to the epic song that accompanies it, Liberi Fatali. The Latin chorus kicks off the song in dramatic fashion, and remains the heart of the song throughout. The drum snares add a slight military vibe, one that’s prevalent throughout the entire game, and the rest of the orchestration comes together to create an awesome action theme (something the game's soundtrack does well in general). Liberi Fatali not only makes the opening scene that much more intense and memorable, but also serves as a strong overview to Final Fantasy VIII on the whole, and remains one of gaming’s most iconic themes.

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